The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-02-02

How appropriate therefore Is our assem-
bling to-day. Now, that the evidence Is be-
fore us. that the Lord Jehovah has kept cove
nant with us and our fathers; now that you,
with commendabc fidelity and zeal, have
erected this new and commodiouS house. and
desire it TO be set apart from common to Il
holy use-wc have met to dedicate IL to God
to cOnsccrae il to his worship and TO invoke
the divine blessing upon all who are here, and
i all VINO may assemble here for his high and
holy service.
Let this house, therefore, he ever known as
the "h0uSc of God" as "H place of prayer rs
monument to the covenant fidelity of our
God to us and our fathers and let it he sacrrd-
ly kept as Gods holy house, to perpetTatc Ihc
doctrines and principles OF our fathers.
An occasion OF this kind has always bren
accounted Il solemn and high day to the pcn-
pic OF GOd. as when King Solomon and all Is
racl assembled for tho dedication Of the tenn.
pie. and the Priests and Lcvites brought up
! the ark and set 1t in its own place. "rhnn,
the glory of the Lord filed the house." The
| Lord Jehovah came and entered the house
and his glory appeared in the Shcchna, and
the people saw The evidence Of present God
as really as when he came down on Sinai.
amid laundering and lightning, the voice of
n trumpet and the sound of words, or aS Peter
and James and John saw the transfgnred
glory Of the Lord on the Mount and Moses
and Elias appeared talking with him. "They
saw the Lord" and knew that "he was in his
holy temple, and all the earth should keep ST.
lencc before him. 1t was no empty pageant
or dumb idol show: but the true and living
God was there. manifcsting himself through
his Son, MS ready to hear and answer prayer,
and ready to save to the uttermoSL all who
come unto God, through him.
shall we not. therefore, make this solemn
and high day, ~ day OF JOY and gladncss
among the saints. that although generation
after generation has come and gone, aha
church after church has been built and worn
out, still another church has been erected ana
is now set apa,t from acommon to- holy nSn,
as Gods house. in which yon and your chill
dren may continue to worship God in spirit
and IN truth We expect no Shech,na 10, or
trnnSfigurCd glory to appear among us, put
may we not expect the presence and power OF
the Holy Ghost, the still small voice of the
spirit repeating his gracious promise. "Lo,
am with you alway, even unto the end oil the
world"
IT. matters not what s'yle Of architectural
beauty has been selected. 1t matters not
whether 1t has been built In the splcndors OF
art, or in the lovely simplicity of unndorned
taste. whether 1t h" dedicated with The most
imposing ceremony or in the absence OF all
ceremony If the Lord God Of our fathers ana
and if he shall continue TO till itwith his pres
ence and our hearts with his rich and abnh-
dant grace. that is all we desire, and opr
Wh he Mf and ntFGr It God he
! for us. who can bc against us: he that spared
not his own son, hut freely delivered him up
for us all. how shall he not with him, also
give us all things?" Gods own Son Is wei
Styled, "hs unsrealsabc gift SO Is his Holy
Spirit. So are the rich promises of his grace,
his word and ordinances and the long line OF
! splendid examples, those burning nnd Sh,n-
! ing lights. through whom this rich legacy has
been handed down TO us. So Is house IN
| which to worship God The Lord our God, in
his good and holy Providence has given you
this house, or has put 1t into your hearts and
! furnished you the means to build IT, as a
, token of his caro-, and goodness. and love TO
you apd as evidence of his fidelity In Keeping
covenant unto thousands Of generations, and
/ II oil In
dwell with that man, who is humble and Of q
contritc spirit, and who trcmhlfs at his word
"If man love mo, lie will keep my words,
and my father will love him; ann we ron come :,
unto him and make our abode with him."
! The house of God is Therefore holy house
holy, not only becauscof Its being sci apart to
| but because he dwellS in it, as also in the
hearts of his pcopr. Know We not, TINT ye
are tho temple OF God and that the spirit OF
God dwe!leth in yon? Now if any man d"file
the temple of God is holy, which, temple .ye
! are" Wherefore, the erection and dedication
of this house to Gcd is not only appropriate,
hut carries with 1t the authority OF com
mand. 10 come and worship God. "Corle yn
into his coIrtS and bring an offering with
you" ave will 90 into his tabcrnaclcs; we
will worship at his footstool
| Regarding, therefore, these things rs eStlh-
| tabIiShcd facts in tie divine economy, viz,
that God Is entitled to the worship and ser
vice of all his creatures That ne mas apnnlnl-
c,l times and places fnr that worship, ana re-.
oured them to he Kept holy unto his great
name: It, will he Well TO enquire into the ma
| turr and several parts of acceptable worship.
| lSt The culfms Dri or the worship Of God
; comprchnndS The whole Of what is rallied true
AID revealed religion, embracing alike us d0"-
trinal beliefs. its duties, practices AMI hoy
living. and consists In giving all ihat rcsncct,
reverence hcmagc and glory to the Father,
Son and Holy Ghost as the one true aud liv-
ing Cod which Is justly due un'o him. under
Il proper sense Of individual responsibility
; and accountability to him, as ouf Iawgiver,
| Saviour, Sanctitler and Sovereign, Lord and
Judge uf all--in whom VIC glory, ard by whom
we shall one day be glorficd, together with
al who believe and obey him.
! This revcrential worship is shown hy oNfrr-
! nal acts of devotion. which he himself has an
pointed ana revealed in his holy worl- such
! as prayer and Thanksgiving, the singin" OF
/ Psalms, the reading and preaching or The
word the administration and reception or the
divine ordinances of Baptism and the Lords
supper. together with all tho duties cnioincd,
and privileges bestowed npon us as disciples
and followers of the Lord Jesus. These con-
Sliiutc the leading features and external
! forms Of religious worship, as held and prac-
J ticnl hy evangelical churches. But even these
will prove unacceptable to God and unproht,
able to man. unless The hest affections ana
powers Of mind and heart bc enlisted in them,
| "For God Is spirit. and they tEat WORSHIP p
him must worship him in sriritan1 In truth
"Thc flthrr scnlicth Snch to worship hlm.'
az broken spirit is to God ~ pleasing stNrilcr: :
not dcSpisc."
OF acceptable worship, we classify it thus
private and public, or that OF the closet ana
| fumily, and that of the great colGre"ntion.
These never come in conflict. For those who
make conscience of observing their private
hcvotinnS most sacretlly, are generally most
faithful in public ordinances, us we'll. They
delight in II. "Thcy love the gates Of Zion
more than NJ the dwellings of Jacob, land re-.
IOice when II is said unto them, set us go nn-
| To the house of the Lord" Hog lpvcly thy
dwelling place O Lord of hosts, to me-! The
tahcrnah!cs Of thy grace, how pleasan. Lord,
they hc!"
So Christ and his apostles honored the tenn
pie and synagogue worShip-taught plhlirly
i'm tie temple or on tho beach and by the riv-
cr side, whore prayer was wont to he made,
and thn Masters promise, still rich IN grace
comes down tn us, "Where two or til rec are
gathered together In my name. there am L in
the midst Of them"
How appropriate! how wise and gracious
are all Gods diSprnsaiions of love and mercy
toward us? tina he should give lis times ana
places in which TO meet and w1rsht? him,
whose we are and whom VIC are h0uhd 10
sprvni Places dedicated and Sacrc'll% kept
for religious worship, where congregation OF
his people may meet, become bound t'%"tner
by tics of love and affection, and by certain
tl0crnal beliefs, in tho unity OF the i;tith. us
taught in the word of God, and can meet, un-
molcsicd, to observe divinely appointed ordi-
lowship with one another. with the Ethcrand
the son, and with all who dwell with item be-
yund the SIX inS. Hence, one primary design
of church cdiiico is to have n suitable ana
permanent place, where we can meet ana w0r-
ship God, MS Israel of Old In the tabernacle
and temple service upon Mount Zion, or as
angels and saints have now in heaven, where
. ,f,f Ip, rfSpn niUht